Match Feed

Q4 32:08

Standouts for the Bombers include Heppell and Zaharakis who each amassed 35 disposals on their way to victory. McGrath's run and carry was also impressive through the middle with 26 disposals and a goal.

Q4 32:08

A scintillating last quarter Essendon surge was enough to see them come out on top. The Bombers outscored the crows 41 to nine in the final term, leading inside 50s 20 to eight and marks 26 to seven.

Q4 32:08

The siren has sounded to end Q4.

Q4 30:57

BEHINDBombers (Josh Begley)

Q4 30:07

BEHINDBombers (Devon Smith)

Q4 27:48

BEHINDBombers (Josh Begley)

Q4 26:38

Josh Begley kicks Essendon's fifth goal in a row to extend their lead.

Q4 26:12

GOALBombers (Josh Begley)

Q4 24:09

The Bombers kick their fifth of the quarter to go in front, they have had eight of the last nine inside 50s of the game.

Q4 24:08

GOALBombers (Cale Hooker)

Q4 22:11

BEHINDBombers (Josh Green)

Q4 20:42

GOALBombers (Josh Green)

Q4 19:35

The Bombers have had the ball locked in their forward half for 68 per cent of the final term.

Q4 19:23

BEHINDCrows (Hugh Greenwood)

Q4 18:03

BEHINDBombers (James Stewart)

Q4 15:27

BEHINDCrows (Mitch McGovern)

Q4 11:56

BEHINDCrows (Richard Douglas)

Q4 10:43

The Bombers lead fourth quarter inside 50s eight to three and have scored 3 goals to one.

Q4 10:20

GOALBombers (Brendon Goddard)

Q4 08:39

GOALBombers (James Stewart)

Q4 06:48

The Crows' stoppage dominance eventually pays off with a goal from their sixth consecutive clearance.

Q4 06:33

GOALCrows (Cameron Ellis-Yolmen)

Q4 05:28

The Crows have won the first five clearances of the final quarter.

Q4 02:28

The Bombers get themselves back into the game with an early goal from their second forward 50 entry of the term.

Q4 02:07

GOALBombers (Josh Green)

Q4 00:00

Q4 is now underway.

Q3 33:38

Bryce Gibbs had a major impact in the third quarter with eight disposals, four marks and two goals.

Q3 33:38

A massive third quarter from the Crows could prove to be the difference, they outscored the Bombers seven goals to three. Adelaide were able to get on top at the centre bounce, leading clearances seven to four, one of which was converted into a goal.

Q3 33:28

The siren has sounded to end Q3.

Q3 31:23

Crows InterchangeCurtly Hampton and is possibly out for the game.

Q3 31:13

BEHINDCrows (Rory Atkins)

Q3 28:03

The Crows have made the Bombers pay in the third term, they have scored 6.2(38) from Essendon turnovers.

Q3 26:45

GOALCrows (Hugh Greenwood)

Q3 26:12

BEHINDCrows (Josh Jenkins)

Q3 25:11

The Crows have replicated Essendon's movement from the defensive 50 this term, with two goals of their own from D50 chains.

Q3 22:19

BEHINDBombers (James Stewart)

Q3 19:52

GOALCrows (Richard Douglas)

Q3 19:09

BEHINDCrows (Eddie Betts)

Q3 18:22

BEHINDBombers (Joe Daniher)

Q3 16:53

GOALBombers (Joe Daniher)

Q3 14:31

GOALCrows (Darcy Fogarty)

Q3 12:48

The Crows have been dominating the stoppages in the third term, they lead clearances six to two.

Q3 12:21

GOALBombers (Cale Hooker)

Q3 10:26

GOALCrows (Lachlan Murphy)

Q3 09:15

Crows InterchangeDavid Mackay off due to an injury.

Q3 07:45

The Crows have been efficient going forward in the third term, kicking three goals from their six entries.

Q3 06:49

GOALCrows (Mitch McGovern)

Q3 04:48

The game has been evenly poised on either ends of the ground. The Crows narrowly lead inside 50s 31 to 29 and have had the ball in their forward 50 for 25 per cent of the game compared to Essendon's 26 per cent.

Q3 04:48

GOALCrows (Bryce Gibbs)

Q3 03:45

GOALBombers (Cale Hooker)

Q3 01:12

GOALCrows (Bryce Gibbs)

Q3 00:00

Q3 is now underway.

Q2 29:22

The siren has sounded to end Q2.

Q2 28:08

BEHINDBombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)

Q2 27:29

In the last five minutes the Crows have had the ball in their forward half for 77 per cent of time.

Q2 25:44

BEHINDCrows (Lachlan Murphy)

Q2 24:07

BEHINDCrows (Josh Jenkins)

Q2 22:53

The Essendon skipper Dyson Heppell has had a big second term with 11 disposals at 91 per cent efficiency as well as four inside 50s.

Q2 22:53

BEHINDCrows (Richard Douglas)

Q2 21:13

BEHINDBombers (Brendon Goddard)

Q2 18:47

BEHINDCrows (Eddie Betts)

Q2 16:54

BEHINDBombers (Josh Green)

Q2 16:03

The Bombers lead second quarter inside 50s 12 to four and have outscore the Crows by only four points in this time

Q2 15:49

BEHINDBombers (Darcy Parish)

Q2 12:28

During the second quarter, neither team has been able to generate an inside 50 from a defensive 50 chain from nine total attempts.

Q2 12:01

GOALCrows (Josh Jenkins)

Q2 09:35

BEHINDBombers (Cale Hooker)

Q2 09:05

Essendon has converted two of its five kick ins to goals. In 2017, the Bombers scored from 12.9 per cent of kick ins (ranked first).

Q2 08:17

BEHINDBombers (Rushed)

Q2 02:57

The Bombers have the first three inside 50s of the second quarter, converting one of these to a goal.

Q2 02:35

GOALBombers (Joe Daniher)

Q2 00:00

Q2 is now underway.

Q1 30:00

Tom Bellchambers finished the quarter with six hitouts to advantage which is his most ever in a first term.

Q1 29:50

The siren has sounded to end Q1.

Q1 28:53

GOALCrows (Josh Jenkins)

Q1 28:37

Bombers InterchangeZach Merrett and is possibly out for the game.

Q1 25:19

Two of Essendon's four goals have been sourced from defensive 50 chains. Throughout 2017, the Bombers averaged 2.7 goals per game in this area (ranked second).

Q1 24:45

GOALBombers (James Stewart)

Q1 23:50

BEHINDCrows (Rory Atkins)

Q1 22:11

GOALBombers (Tom Bellchambers)

Q1 21:38

The Crows have now had the ball in their forward half for 72 per cent of the game.

Q1 19:42

The Crows have had the last six inside 50s of the game.

Q1 19:42

BEHINDCrows (Bryce Gibbs)

Q1 18:47

BEHINDCrows (David Mackay)

Q1 15:46

BEHINDBombers (Jake Stringer)

Q1 14:02

GOALCrows (Curtly Hampton)

Q1 13:39

Tom Bellchambers has three early hitouts to advantage, his career high first quarter output is five which he has achieved seven times.

Q1 10:45

GOALBombers (Andrew McGrath)

Q1 10:00

Bombers InterchangeMatt Dea off due to the blood rule.

Q1 09:25

BEHINDCrows (Rushed)

Q1 07:51

GOALBombers (James Stewart)

Q1 06:15

The Bombers have won the first possession at the opening three stoppages of the game, managing to clear two of these.

Q1 04:47

Darcy Fogarty boots the first goal of the game with his first kick in AFL football.

Q1 04:46

GOALCrows (Darcy Fogarty)

Q1 03:13

BEHINDCrows (Paul Seedsman)

Q1 02:32

BEHINDBombers (Darcy Parish)

Q1 01:28

The Bombers have intercepted the Crows' first two forward 50 entries with marks for Heppell and Stringer.

Q1 00:00

The Bombers and the Crows were ranked first and second respectively for scores per forward 50 entry in 2017. Essendon averaged a score from 50.4 per cent of entries compared to Adelaide's 50.1 per cent.

Q1 00:00

Since 2012, Essendon has averaged three more clearances per game against Adelaide which is the secondbest differential recorded by a side.

Q1 00:00

Q1 is now underway.

Q0 00:00

Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.

Related

ESSENDON has produced a withering fourth-quarter performance to stun Adelaide by 12 points on Friday night and ensure the pre-season hype at Tullamarine will continue.

The Bombers had lost four straight matches to the Crows by an average of 76 points, but kicked six of the last seven goals to snatch a 14.15 (99) to 12.15 (87) triumph at Etihad Stadium.

They trailed by 20 points at the seven-minute mark of the final term, only for a Cale Hooker mark and goal inside the contest's last four minutes to put Essendon in front for good.Click here for full match details stats

WATCH: Crows debutant Darcy Fogarty showed plenty

"We came here prepared to play and win a game of footy, and we were 20 (points) up at three-quarter time and we expect to win that game and we didn't.

"I thought we lost control of the ball and lost control of field position … and, as we know in games, and late in games in particular, when fatigue is in play field position is vital and we didn't hold it and didn't retain it."

The Bombers' triumph was even more meritorious given it lost Zach Merrett to concussion before quarter-time.

Crow Richard Douglas flattened the All Australian midfielder with a heavy bump that put Douglas in the umpires' book.

It was Merrett's second concussion inside a month after copping a stray elbow from premiership Tiger Kamdyn McIntosh in the clubs' opening JLT Community Series match.

WATCH: Douglas on report for hit on Merrett

Merrett only moments earlier caught Douglas holding the ball, sparking a heated face-off between the pair at the opposite end of the ground.

Both teams fielded fresh faces and it was one who had to wait so long to become an Adelaide footballer who helped ignite the contest.

Ex-Blue Bryce Gibbs transformed a drab affair on the scoreboard into an explosion of goals with two in the first five minutes of the third quarter as the expected shoot-out finally eventuated.

These teams made scoring look easy in 2017, but it took until that third term for the dam wall to bust open as the Crows piled on seven goals to three to charge into a winning position.

The high-octane quarter shot the Crows 20 points ahead at the final change after the sides shared only nine majors in the opening half.

WATCH: Brendon Goddard shows he's still got it

Gibbs was one of four debutants for Adelaide, along with impressive draftee Darcy Fogarty, Tom Doedee and Lachlan Murphy.

But most interest was focused on Essendon's three-pack of recruits – Jake Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad – who all had an impact on occasion.

Saad kept Eddie Betts goalless, Stringer took a huge early intercept grab and had 10 of his 16 touches in the first half and Devon Smith (23) impressed with his defensive pressure.

WATCH: Begley gives Bombers a buffer

MEDICAL ROOMEssendon: Zach Merrett has now suffered three concussions in recent times, which is obvious reason for concern. Coach John Worsfold was reluctant to comment too much on his young star's condition, but he must be in serious doubt for next week.

Adelaide: Oft-injured Crow Curtly Hampton could be set for another stint on the sidelines after hurting his groin on Friday night. He was unsighted at AFL level after round nine last year because of a serious ankle issue in what was then the latest in a long string of ailments. Adelaide was unsure post-match of how bad Hampton's groin issue was.

NEXT UPThe Crows face a six-day turnaround as they prepare to host first-up winners Richmond in a much-anticipated Grand Final rematch at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night. A loss would leave them in unfamiliar territory at 0-2. Essendon has a much kinder eight-day break before travelling west to take on Fremantle at Optus Stadium.